YouTube Rolling Out Call-To-Action Overlays Today

YouTube is set to release an exciting addition to its advertising suite called the Call-To-Action Overlay. It’s the transparent box you currently see at the bottom of some videos, but this time it won’t rely completely on AdWords to display links. The outgoing links will be able to be set by the user who uploads the video. For example, if I upload a video about a certain topic, I can refer viewers to a blog post discussing it in further detail.

Tech critics have said this will have a huge impact on politicians, brands, and charities, who look to extend their presence online.

Previously users would have to include the URL to their site in the sidebar description text or in a text bubble hovering the video. Most people would either ignore the link in the description text, or not manually type it in after seeing it in the video. Call-To-Action Overlay eliminates this issue and makes it easier for video publishers to draw attention to other sites related to their video.

This is also HUGE for Internet marketers. Think about the potential here — you could upload a video about anything under the sun and then direct the viewer to an affiliate link. Evil, right?

So, how successful has this feature been? According to TechCrunch.com, “Last March, the organization charity:water managed to raise $10,000 in a single day by including an overlay on one of its videos. A handful of politicians have also been trying it out, using it to entice voters to sign their petitions. It’s worked well enough that politicians who haven’t had access to the feature are clamoring for it.”

If you try it out and find it to be successful, let me know in the comments below.

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